Category Archives: Telemedicine

The healthcare system in the United States is notoriously complex and multifaceted. While the U.S. boasts cutting-edge medical technology and many of the world’s best and brightest physicians and professionals, access to these scientific advances and life-saving resources remains firmly behind a stratified paywall.

At this point, the average American lives paycheck to paycheck and would not afford an emergency expense, including an unforeseen medical cost. Millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured, and even those who do receive significant coverage often struggle to afford medications, specialists, even routine appointments.

This alone would be enough to create a crisis, but this lack of access is compounded by existing inequality. In other words, those who are already marginalized and socially disadvantaged are hit the hardest by this lack of access.
There has been an ongoing national debate about addressing the various aspects of the U.S. healthcare system, which have been the most inefficient and harmful. While there is, of course, hope to be found in that discourse, the on-the-ground emergency nonetheless persists. Thus, more immediately implementable means of closing the access gap are being continually explored. One such means, which has exploded in use throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is the use of Telehealth, or virtual care.

Telehealth is not perfect, and it does not come without barriers in its own right. For example, low-income individuals who do not own a computer or laptop may not find Telehealth a viable alternative to in-person appointments. Older adults who aren’t comfortable navigating computer and webcam use may also struggle.

That considered, however, for a significant number of individuals, Telehealth tangibly closes the access gap. Those who live in rural areas, which may or may not even have a local physician, typically find virtual care extremely helpful, even life-saving. The same can be said for those living with disabilities, particularly disabilities, which would make an in-person commute difficult. Overall, Telehealth is less costly and less confined to the 9-to-5 schedule, increasing patients’ ability to utilize services.

Healthcare is essential. All forms of care—emergency, long-term, preventative, and more—all play a role in public health: healing and helping people, saving and improving lives. Increasing healthcare accessibility is an issue of both social welfare and public health. The sooner it is addressed, all Americans will receive the healthcare they deserve regardless of socioeconomic status.

The increasingly widespread use of virtual care may not be a comprehensive, one-and-done solution for closing the access gap; however, it is a means of tangibly chipping away at it, changing healthcare—and lives—in the process.

During the pandemic, telephone and video medical visits became the norm for many providers. A recent study in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that New York State safety net providers had positive experiences using telehealth with their patients during the past year. However, the researchers noted that although remote visits made it easier for patients to complete appointments, it also exposed the lack of access at-need populations they serve have to the technology necessary for telemedicine visits.

Why it’s important

The providers surveyed in the study found the telemedicine visits to be as effective as in-person visits and had the added benefit of reducing no-shows. It also made attending appointments for vulnerable populations and those with busy schedules easier and more accessible.

Of course, not all appointments could be conducted virtually. Patients requiring vaccinations needed in-person care, and certain types of appointments, such as well-child visits, were less effective when provided remotely. It was also difficult for some patients to use the technical tools necessary to attend telemedicine visits.

The providers surveyed did have suggestions for improving telehealth visits that could help to alleviate some of these pain points. They suggested developing more user-friendly platforms, providing funding for organizations to make the adjustments needed for telemedicine, and working towards universal broadband and enhanced Wifi capabilities.

Other current studies

The rise of telehealth during the pandemic has provided researchers with a plethora of information about telemedicine’s benefits and drawbacks. A study from the University of Missouri looked at how the rapid increase in telemedicine affected nursing home residents. They found that while it increased access to services, it led to increased social isolation.

Future Studies

The researchers suggest that future research should focus on supporting communication between providers and patients. They also propose assessing the type of care preferred by both providers and patients to determine the best method of care to provide.

The Mail Order Pharmacy Market Is Expected to See Enormous Growth

Mail-order pharmacies operate over the Internet. They can provide their customers with a great deal of convenience by delivering their products to the latter’s doorsteps, so it should come as no surprise to learn that they are expected to continue seeing good growth for the near future. Still, the extent of that growth can be shocking. One estimate is that eDrugstore.com and other notable players will bring the mail order pharmacy market to $166,384,850,000 in 2027 through a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent from 2020 to 2027. Something that stakeholders should pay attention to.

Why Is the Mail Order Pharmacy Market Doing So Well?

The mail-order pharmacy market has recently received a massive boost because of the COVID-19 crisis. After all, concern over the pandemic meant that people bought many healthcare products, which benefited a lot of pharmacies. However, people’s desire to minimize their chances of getting COVID-19 also told them that they chose to shop from home rather than in person, meaning that eDrugstore.com and mail-order pharmacies benefited more than most.

It is important to note that there are also long-term trends driving their growth. For example, an aging population means increased numbers of chronic diseases, resulting in more and more demand for healthcare companies of various sorts. Similarly, there is an increasing acceptance of buying healthcare products and services online rather than offline, meaning that more and more people are opting for the former. Moreover, people have noticed these trends, which is why investments have been pouring into mail-order pharmacies. This is expected to speed up the growth rate because of the increased availability of resources with which to do so.

Further Considerations

There are still issues holding back eDrugstore.com and other mail-order pharmacies. To name an example, e-commerce is still most prevalent in high-income economies. Due to that, these businesses have a more challenging time penetrating low to middle-income economies, which they can’t do anything about. Still, the estimate for the market’s overall growth suggests that eDrugstore.com has a bright future ahead of it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically accelerated the growth of telehealth and prescheduling technologies. Patients no longer have to wait for hours in hospital waiting rooms to see a doctor. And how is this going to impact patients and providers?

According to Dr. David Berg, a co-founder, and chairman of the board of Redirect Health, healthcare facilities should minimize unnecessary inconveniences like wait time for a better healthcare experience. Here is Dr. Berg explanation in an in-depth interview with Healthcare IT News:

How can physicians reduce long patient wait times using prescheduling tools?

The essence of prescheduling is to save time used in filling out forms in the doctor’s office. Using prescheduling tools, doctors can gather patients’ records before they even get in the hospital. According to DR. Berg, when doctors get your medical history information, they are more prepared for treatment when you arrive.

With prescheduling, people can fill out the form at their pace without impacting waiting room time.

Negative impacts of high waiting room times and its effects on patient care

Even when adhering to COVID-19 precautions, people are still afraid of enclosed places that are crowded. As Berg explains, two groups are used to analyze the negative impact of high waiting room times. The first group comprises the younger and healthier people who might not see the doctor because of their busy life. The second group includes people with chronic health issues who don’t want to spend unnecessary time waiting. High waiting room times discourage these groups from seeking care.

Impacts of telehealth on in-person doctor visits and its effects on waiting times

Telehealth reduces waiting times, and patients are put on a schedule that is easier for doctors to manage during virtual appointments. On the other hand, patients will less often take time to have in-person doctor visits. And when they go, they would like to take care of everything, even things that are not yet problems. With telehealth, people can spend lesser time in appointments.

The future of the waiting room

Dr. Berg believes that the waiting rooms will get smaller as the parking lots get busier if people don’t fill out forms at home. As much as the benefits of telehealth are evident, it’s not an easy transition to the highly regulated healthcare industry. Also, physicians are required to hold a license in the state of their operation.

However, telemedicine’s future is bright if a bipartisan federal telehealth law eliminates licensing in individual states.